How to Read a Florist's Quote

A floral quote is one of the harder documents to compare, because two quotes for the same event can differ by a factor of two and both be honest. Knowing what sits inside the numbers makes the comparison possible.

The Four Things Being Charged For

Material. The flowers, foliage and mechanics, at wholesale cost plus a markup. Industry markups on fresh product commonly run around three to four times wholesale, which sounds enormous until the wastage rate is accounted for — a substantial proportion of everything a shop buys is never sold.

Labour. Design time, conditioning, building, and for events the setup and breakdown. This is frequently the largest single line on event work and it is the one most often invisible on a quote.

Hard goods. Vessels, stands, armatures, candles, ribbon. These may be sold, rented or included, and which one it is changes the number substantially.

Logistics. Delivery, vehicles, staff time on site, parking, and for large events sometimes a second visit for collection.

A quote showing only a total is not wrong, but it cannot be compared to anything.

The Questions That Make Two Quotes Comparable

Five, and they take one email.

Are vessels included, rented or purchased? A rented vessel returns; a purchased one is yours and costs more. A quote that includes rental and one that includes purchase are not the same quote.

Is setup and breakdown included, and how many staff for how long? Breakdown in particular is regularly excluded and then invoiced.

Is delivery separate? For multiple sites or multiple times, is each visit charged?

What is the substitution policy? Every florist substitutes, because flowers are agricultural. The question is whether they substitute within a colour and style at equal value, and whether they will tell you first.

And what is the deposit and cancellation structure? Event work commonly takes a non-refundable deposit, and the terms vary widely.

Where the Number Actually Moves

Three levers change a quote far more than negotiating on price does.

Season. Specifying peonies in October or ranunculus in August means importing counter-season material at several times the in-season cost, for lower quality. Asking what is good in your month rather than naming flowers is the single largest saving available.

Placement count. Forty low centrepieces cost more than six substantial ones and are seen by fewer people, since low table pieces disappear once guests are seated. Concentrating spend at entrances, bars and stages usually produces a better-looking event for less.

Structural work. Arches, installations and anything hanging carries a disproportionate cost in armature, labour and safety. Removing one structure frees more budget than trimming every other line.

What a Low Quote Usually Means

Not dishonesty — a different specification, and it is worth identifying which.

Fewer stems in the same silhouette. Cheaper material in the same colours: commercial roses rather than garden roses, standard carnation rather than lisianthus. Foam rather than reusable mechanics, which is faster. Delivery only, with placement left to the venue or the wedding party. Or no breakdown, which lands as a separate invoice or an unhappy venue.

Any of these is legitimate if you know about it. The problem is a quote that is lower because it silently excludes something you assumed was included.

Reading the Substitution Clause Properly

This is where most post-event disappointment originates.

A reasonable clause says the florist may substitute flowers of equal or greater value, maintaining the agreed colour palette and overall style, and will notify you of significant changes. That is fair and it is what the trade requires.

An unreasonable one reserves the right to substitute without limitation. That permits a completely different arrangement at the same price.

If a specific flower genuinely matters — a variety with personal significance, a colour that has to match something — say so explicitly and ask for it to be written in as a non-substitutable item. A good florist will either agree or tell you honestly that they cannot guarantee it.

The Consultation Is Part of the Product

A quote produced after a proper conversation about the venue, the light, the timings and what you actually like will be more accurate and more useful than one produced from an email.

Many studios charge for design consultation on event work, or credit it against the booking. That is reasonable — an hour of design time producing a scheme, a palette and a costed proposal is real work, and a studio that gives it away free is recovering it somewhere.

For smaller commissions, the equivalent is simply describing the brief well: the budget, the room, the occasion, and whether the recipient likes anything in particular. Our Designer Flower Mix exists for exactly the case where the brief is a register rather than a specification, and it consistently produces more flowers for the money than a fixed list does.